Coupling light from a waveguide array to single mode fiber array

ABSTRACT

Techniques for coupling light from a waveguide array to a single mode fiber array are described. In an embodiment, lateral misalignment of an array of focusing lenses and an array of optical fiber ferrules held into alignment by a lens holder sub-assembly is compensated by tilting the lens holder sub-assembly with respect to the propagation axis of the light being coupled by the lens holder-subassembly. Since the amount of tilt can be adjusted according to the degree of lateral misalignment, lens holder sub-assemblies manufactured with varying degrees of misalignment may be utilized to couple light into single mode fiber-optic cable. In addition, the same technique can also be used to compensate for other defects as well, such as angular errors in manufacturing or placement of a turning mirror or prism used to direct light into the lens holder sub-assembly.

BENEFIT CLAIM

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §120 as acontinuation of application Ser. No. 13/715,962, filed Dec. 14, 2012,the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference forall purposes as if fully set forth herein. The applicants hereby rescindany disclaimer of claim scope in the parent applications or theprosecution history thereof and advise the USPTO that the claims in thisapplication may be broader than any claim in the parent applications.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to optical data communicationnetworks and relates more specifically to coupling light from awaveguide array to a single mode fiber array.

BACKGROUND

Fiber-optic communication is a method of transmitting voice, video, dataor other information by sending pulses of light through an opticalfiber. The light forms an electromagnetic carrier wave that is modulatedto carry information. In most cases, fiber-optic communication involvesat least three components, a transmitter that emits light (e.g.light-emitting diodes and laser diodes), a fiber-optic cable thatcarries the light to another location, and a receiver that converts thelight into electrical signals.

Fiber optic cables typically comprise a core, a cladding, and a buffer(a protective outer coating), in which the cladding guides the lightalong the core using the physical principle of total internalreflection. The core of the fiber-optic cable is made of a material,such as high quality silica or plastic, which has a higher refractiveindex than the cladding. Consequently, light rays which enter thefiber-optic cable at an angle below the critical angle reflect off thecladding and are guided down the cable. However, light rays which enterat above the critical angle partially reflect and partially refract eachtime the light ray encounters a boundary between the core and thecladding. As result, the light's intensity, and thus the signal carriedby the light, becomes attenuated and is eventually lost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of examples, and not by wayof limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in whichlike reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1A illustrates a side view of an optical networking device uponwhich an embodiment may be performed.

FIG. 1B illustrates a view of the interposer of FIG. 1A with the lensholder sub-assembly removed.

FIG. 1C illustrates a top-down view of the lens holder sub-assembly ofFIG. 1A.

FIG. 1D illustrates a bottom-up view of the lens holder sub-assembly ofFIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 illustrates a Multiple-Fiber Push-On connector according to anembodiment.

FIG. 3A is a block diagram that illustrates light traveling through theoptical networking device of FIG. 1A when no misalignment is presentbetween the focusing lens array and the fiber-optic cable ferrules.

FIG. 3B is a block diagram that illustrates light traveling through theoptical networking device of FIG. 1A when lateral misalignment ispresent between the focusing lens array 106 and the fiber-optic cableferrules.

FIG. 3C is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment that compensatesfor the misalignment of FIG. 3B by tilting the lens holder sub-assembly.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a computing device performingactive alignment according to an embodiment.

FIG. 5A is a block diagram illustrating the effect of lens holdersub-assembly misalignment on an embodiment single-lens opticalnetworking device design.

FIG. 5B is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment that compensatesfor the lens holder sub-assembly misalignment of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6A is a block diagram illustrating the effect angular errors haveon light traveling through the optical networking device of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 6B is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment compensating forthe angular errors of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram that illustrates an example computer systemwhich may perform the techniques present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Techniques for coupling light from a waveguide array to a single modefiber array are described. In the following description, for thepurposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. Itwill be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the presentinvention may be practiced without these specific details. In otherinstances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagramform in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention.

Several features are described hereafter that can each be usedindependently of one another or with any combination of other features.However, any individual feature may not address any of the problemsdiscussed above or might only address one of the problems discussedabove. Some of the problems discussed above might not be fully addressedby any of the features described herein. Although headings are provided,information related to a particular heading, but not found in thesection having that heading, may also be found elsewhere in thespecification.

Embodiments are described herein according to the following outline:

-   -   1.0 General Overview    -   2.0 Fiber-Optic Communication    -   3.0 Example Optical Networking Device    -   4.0 Compensating for Lens Holder Sub-Assembly Misalignment    -   5.0 Compensating for Turning Mirror Angular Errors    -   6.0 Hardware Overview    -   7.0 Extensions and Alternatives

1.0 OVERVIEW

A method for performing active alignment is presented. In an embodiment,the method comprises measuring an intensity of light passing through alens holder sub-assembly. The lens holder sub-assembly coupling one ormore focusing lenses to one or more optical fiber ferrules. In responseto a determination that the intensity of light exceeds a particularthreshold, locking the lens holder sub-assembly in place. In response toa determination that the intensity of light does not exceed theparticular threshold, adjusting the position of the lens holdersub-assembly or a degree of tilt of the lens holder sub-assembly.

In an embodiment the method is performed by one or more computingdevices.

An apparatus for coupling light is described. In an embodiment, theapparatus comprises a transmitter configured to emit modulated lightupon which data is encoded; one or more focusing lenses configured tofocus the modulated light into one or more optical fiber ferrules; and alens holder sub-assembly, tilted with respect to a propagation axis ofthe modulated light, that couples the one or more focusing lenses to theone or more optical fiber ferrules.

The foregoing and other features and aspects of the disclosure willbecome more readily apparent from the following detailed description ofvarious embodiments.

2.0 FIBER-OPTIC COMMUNICATION

At present, there are two common types of fiber-optic cables, multimodefiber-optic cable and single mode fiber-optic cable. The primarydifference between multimode and single mode fiber-optic cable is thesize of the core, which is one of the factors that determines how manymodes of light the cable can support. A mode of light may be termed apath through which a light ray can travel down a fiber-optic cable,although this term is merely an approximation of the actual physicalphenomenon.

Multimode fiber-optic cables typically have a core that is 50-100microns in diameter and thus are capable of supporting light rays whichtake multiple paths down the cable. For example, light traveling in thelowest mode travels down the center of the cable and reaches the endwithout bouncing off the cladding. Light following subsequent modestravel by bouncing off the cladding, with light rays entering the cableat progressively steeper angles traveling in increasingly higher modesand, as a result, bouncing more often during the transmission.

Due to supporting light rays which follow multiple paths, multimodefiber optic cables suffer from modal dispersion, in which a signalrepresented in the light rays is spread in time because the propagationvelocity of the optical signal is not the same for all modes. In simplerterms, paths which bounce less often are traversed more quickly, thusthere is a time difference between when light traveling in the lowestmode reaches the end of the cable and when light traveling in thehighest mode reaches the end of the cable. This time delay, and thus themodal dispersion, is more pronounced when the cable length is longer. Asa result, multimode fiber-optic cables are typically limited in bothdata transfer rate and the length of the fiber-optic connection.Consequently, multimode fiber-optic cables are primarily used forcommunication over short distances, such as within a building or acrossa campus.

Single mode fiber-optic cables resolve the modal dispersion issue bysupporting only a single (lowest) mode of light. As a result, singlemode fiber-optic cables are capable of transmitting data at faster ratesand over longer distances than multimode fiber-optic cable. However, inorder to support only a single mode of light, the core of a single modefiber-optic cable is significantly smaller than the core of a multimodefiber-optic cable. In most cases, single mode fiber-optic cables aredesigned with a core that is approximately 8-10.5 microns in diameter.Consequently, the aperture at which light must enter the single modefiber-optic cable is narrow and extreme precision is required inaligning light from the transmitter to the fiber-optic cable, a processreferred to as coupling. As a result, the equipment required to performthe delicate calibrations for coupling light into a single modefiber-optic cable can be very expensive compared to the equipment forcoupling light into a multimode fiber-optic cable.

One technique for coupling light into a multimode fiber-optic cableinvolves a dual lens design (sometimes known as a “PRIZM” coupler). Inthe PRIZM coupler design, light emitted by the transmitter is collimatedusing a first lens array. The collimated light is then directed towardsa lens holder sub-assembly by a mirror or turning prism. The lens holdersub-assembly contains a second array of lenses that focuses the lightinto ferrules where a fiber-optic cable can be placed to receive thelight.

Extending the “PRIZM” coupler for use with single mode fiber optic cableis problematic because the single mode fiber core is only 8.5-10 micronsin diameter verses the 50-100 micron core of a multimode fiber-opticcable. As a result, the tolerances required to transition from multimodeto single mode fiber require at least a fivefold greater accuracy whenaligning the second lens array to the ferrules. Equipment to produce theaforementioned accuracy requirements can be very expensive and/ordifficult to acquire.

For example, the lens holder sub-assembly is typically created byaligning the second array of lenses to the ferrules and epoxying thesecond array of lenses in place onto the lens holder sub-assembly.However, as the epoxy hardens, typically through ultraviolet or thermalcuring, the resulting stresses may cause the second lens array and theferrules to shift slightly out of alignment. For multimode fiber opticalcables, the tolerance is great enough that the shift has a negligibleeffect on the resulting signal strength. Signal strength for single modefiber-optic cables, on the other hand, can be greatly affected by evenminor misalignments within the lens holder sub-assembly. Consequently,lens holder sub-assemblies that are manufactured with all but the mostnominal amount of misalignment would ordinarily be unusable for thepurpose of coupling single mode fiber-optic cable.

The techniques described herein may be used to relax the tolerance andthus the accuracy requirements needed to couple light into a single-modefiber optic cable. As a result, the cost of coupling can be greatlyreduced since cheaper and more readily available equipment can be usedto perform the coupling effectively.

In an embodiment, misalignment within the lens holder sub-assembly iscompensated by tilting the lens holder sub-assembly with respect to thepropagation axis of the collimated light. With tilt axis control, thereis little to no excess loss due to the misalignment between the secondlens array and the ferrules within the lens holder sub-assembly, whichincreases the allowed tolerance and thus reduces cost. Since the amountof tilt can be adjusted according to the degree of lateral misalignment,lens holder sub-assembles manufactured with varying degrees ofmisalignment may still be utilized to couple light into a single modefiber-optic cable. In addition, the same technique can be used tocompensate for other defects as well, such as angular errors (e.g.manufacturing or placement) of the turning mirror or prism used todirect light into the lens holder sub-assembly.

In another embodiment, rather than using the dual lens PRIZM design,coupling is performed using a single lens. In the single-lens design,instead of collimating light using a first array of lenses, thetransmitter emits light onto the turning mirror/prism, which directs thelight onto the lens holder sub-assembly. Because the light is notcollimated, the light falls upon the lens holder sub-assembly at manydifferent angles. As a result, compensation for misalignment within thelens holder sub-assembly can be accomplished by adjusting the lensholder sub-assembly laterally without the need for tilt access control.In addition, the same technique can be used to correct other defects,such as angular errors of the turning mirror or prism used to direct thedivergent light toward the lens holder sub-assembly.

3.0 EXAMPLE OPTICAL NETWORKING DEVICE

FIG. 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D illustrate an example optical networking device 109upon which an embodiment may be implemented. FIG. 1A depicts a side viewof the optical networking device 109. FIG. 1B depicts a view of aninterposer 100 with a lens holder sub-assembly 103 removed. FIG. 1Cdepicts a top-down view of the lens holder sub-assembly 103. FIG. 1Ddepicts a bottom-up view of the lens holder sub-assembly 103.

In an embodiment, the optical networking device 109 possesses a base foran interposer 100, through which the optical networking device 109 maycommunicate with other devices or circuit board components. Transmitter101, turning mirror 102, lens holder sub-assembly 103, and receiver 104are mounted onto the base for interposer 100. Transmitter 101 emitslight modulated to carry information for fiber-optic communication. Inaddition, the transmitter 101 is aligned with a collimating lens array105 used to parallelize the emitted light. Once parallelized by thecollimating lens array 105, the emitted light is reflected off turningmirror 102 towards the focusing lens array 106 held by the lens holdersub-assembly 103. The focusing lens array 106 focuses the emitted lightinto one or more fiber-optic cable ferrules 107 dedicated to opticalfibers used for transmitting data. The remaining fiber-optic cableferrules 107 are dedicated to optical fibers used for receiving data.Light received through the remaining fiber-optic cable ferrules 107 isfocused through focusing lens array 106 onto the receiver 104, whichtranslates the incoming light pulses into electrical signals. Thefiber-optic cable ferrules 107 are aligned with guide pins 108 that areused to guide and hold an array of optical fibers in place.

The exact design of the example optical networking device 109 is notcritical to the techniques described herein. In other embodiments, thedesign of the optical networking device 109 may vary greatly from thedepictions of FIG. 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D. For example, instead of using turningmirror 102 to direct the light emitted from the transmitter 101 to thefocusing lens array 106, the optical networking device 109 may have thetransmitter 101 in line with the focusing lens array 106, thus allowingthe turning mirror 102 to be omitted. As another example, which will bediscussed in more detail in later sections, the optical networkingdevice 109 may use a single-lens design by omitting the collimating lensarray 105, thus allowing divergent light from the transmitter 101 toreach the focusing lens array 106.

Furthermore, the design of the example optical networking device 109allows for coupling light into an array of optical fibers, but thedesign could also be scaled down to couple light into a single opticalfiber, as opposed to an array. In addition, the example opticalnetworking device 109 possesses both a transmitter 101 and a receiver104, and is thus capable of both transmitting and receiving data. Inother embodiments, the optical networking device 109 may be designed toperform one function, but not the other. As a result, an alternativedesign may omit the transmitter 101 or the receiver 104 and dedicate thefiber-optic cable ferrules 107 to serve only the remaining function.

In an embodiment, interposer 100 is an electrical interface routingbetween one socket or connection to another. Through the interposer 100,the optical networking device 109 may communicate with other devices orcircuit board components. For example, electrical signals produced bythe receiver 104 as a result of receiving incoming light pulses may bererouted to another circuit component or device configured to performsignal processing. As another example, a circuit board component ordevice configured to send data may interface with the transmitter 101through interposer 100 to convert the data into modulated light pulses.However, the exact interface mechanism used for this purpose is notcritical to the techniques described herein, and in other embodimentsinterposer 100 may be replaced with a different type of interface.

In an embodiment, transmitter 101 is any component capable of emittingmodulated light pulses upon which data is encoded for fiber-opticcommunication. For example, the transmitter 101 may represent one ormore light-emitting diodes (LEDs) vertical-cavity surface-emittinglasers (VCSELs), or laser diodes. However, transmitter 101 is notlimited to components which create the modulated light pulses. In otherembodiments, transmitter 101 may represent waveguides, such as one ormore optical fibers, which carry modulated light pulses created by othersources.

In an embodiment, collimating lens array 105 is an array of lensesconfigured to parallelize light emitted by the transmitter 101. In someembodiments, to achieve the aforementioned parallelization, thecollimating lens array 105 is set a distance from the transmitter 101equal to the focal length of the collimating lens array 105. As aresult, the divergent light from the transmitter 101 bends through thecollimating lens array 105 and is transformed into approximatelyparallel rays of light. In some cases, the transmitter 101 may emitlight, such as certain types of laser light, which is already heavilycollimated. Thus, in such embodiments, the collimating lens array 105may be omitted from the optical networking device 109 if furthercollimation would not significantly increase the parallelization of thelight.

In an embodiment, turning mirror 102 represents a reflective surfaceangled to direct light towards the focusing lens array 106. In someembodiments, turning mirror 102 is coated in a reflective material (e.g.gold or aluminum) in order to create the reflective surface. Inalternative embodiments, components other than a mirror, such as aprism, may be used for the same purpose by bending light in thedirection of the focusing lens array 106. In addition, although theembodiment depicted by FIG. 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D mounts the turning mirror 102onto the interposer 100, another embodiment may instead mount theturning mirror 102 directly onto the transmitter 101.

In an embodiment, receiver 104 contains a photodetector (e.g. p-nphotodiodes, p-i-n photodiodes, avalanche photodiodes, etc.), whichconverts light into electricity using the photoelectric effect. In someembodiments, receiver 104 is coupled with a transimpedance amplifierand/or a limiting amplifier to produce a digital signal in theelectrical domain from the incoming optical signal. In some cases, thedigital signal may, during transport, become attenuated and distorted.As a result, in some embodiments, receiver 104 may perform preliminarysignal processing (e.g. clock recovery performed by a phased-lockedloop), before the digital signal is transmitted through the interposer100 to other components or devices.

In an embodiment, lens holder sub-assembly 103 comprises a housing tohold the focusing lens array 106 in alignment with the fiber-optic cableferrules 107. In some embodiments, the focusing lens array 106 is heldto the lens holder sub-assembly 103 with epoxy or other adhesive.However, alternative holding mechanisms may also be employed for thesame purpose.

In an embodiment, the focusing lens array 106 is positioned onto thelens holder sub-assembly 103 by aligning the focusing lens array 106with the guide pins 108 or other fiduciary marker. In other embodiments,the focusing lens array 106 is positioned onto the lens holdersub-assembly 103 by active alignment. For example, light such as thatemitted by transmitter 101 can be directed through the focusing lensarray 106 and out of the fiber-optic cable ferrules 107 onto a measuringdevice that detects the light's intensity. The position of the focusinglens array 106 can then be moved about incrementally until an optimal orthreshold intensity reading is detected by the measuring device beforebeing locked into place.

In some embodiments, lens holder sub-assembly 103 is formed to interfacewith a specific type of connector, such as a Multiple-Fiber Push-On(MPO) connector, that is used to align an array of optical fibers withthe fiber-optic cable ferrules 107. However, in other embodiments,different types of connectors may be utilized for the same purpose or anarray of optical fibers may be coupled to the fiber-optic cable ferrules107 without using a connector.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example MPO connector 200. The MPO connector 200of FIG. 2 acts as an interface for an array of optical fibers containedwithin fiber-optic cable 201. The guide pin holes 202 of the MPOconnector 200 serve as an attachment mechanism that aids to align thefiber-optic cable apertures 203 when interfacing with another device. Insome embodiments, the fiber-optic cable 201 houses an array of singlemode optical fibers. However, the techniques described herein are notlimited to single mode optical fibers, and may also be applied to lowerthe tolerance requirements for multimode fiber-optic cables.

In an embodiment, the MPO connector 200 of FIG. 2 interfaces with thelens holder sub-assembly 103 of FIG. 1 by inserting the guide pins 108into the guide pin holes 202, thus aligning the fiber-optic cableapertures 203 to the fiber-optic cable ferrules 107. As a result, lightemitted by the transmitter 101 carrying outgoing data enters one or moreoptical fibers of the fiber-optic cable 201 that are dedicated totransmitting data. Similarly, light carrying incoming data exits one ofmore optical fibers of the fiber-optic cable 201 dedicated to receivingdata and is directed towards the receiver 104. In some embodiments, theother end of the fiber-optic cable 201 is connected to another opticalnetworking device 109, such as the optical networking device 109depicted in FIG. 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D. However, in other embodiments, theother end of the fiber-optic cable 201 may be connected to a differenttype of optical networking device 109.

4.0 COMPENSATING FOR LENS HOLDER SUB-ASSEMBLY MISALIGNMENT

As mentioned above, when the focusing lens array 106 is mounted onto thelens holder sub-assembly 103 the manufacturing process often leaves amisalignment between the focusing lens array 106 and the fiber-opticcable ferrules 107, resulting in attenuation or loss of the light (andthus the optical signal) that enters the fiber-optic cable 201.

FIG. 3A is a block diagram that illustrates light traveling through theoptical networking device 109 when no misalignment is present betweenthe focusing lens array 106 and the fiber-optic cable ferrules 107. Asdepicted in FIG. 3A, emitted light 300 emanates from the transmitter101, becomes parallelized by the collimating lens array 105, andreflects off the turning mirror 102 towards the focusing lens array 106mounted to the lens holder sub-assembly 103. The focusing lens array 106then directs the light into the fiber-optic cable ferrules 107.Similarly, received light 301 entering through the fiber-optic cableferrules 107 falls upon the focusing lens array 106, which directs thereceived light 301 to the receiver 104.

FIG. 3B is a block diagram that illustrates light traveling through theoptical networking device 109 when lateral misalignment is presentbetween the focusing lens array 106 and the fiber-optic cable ferrules107. Since the focusing lens array 106 is laterally misaligned with thefiber-optic cable ferrules 107, at least some of the emitted light 300misses the fiber-optic cable ferrules 107. Similarly, at least some ofthe received light 301 becomes blocked from reaching the focusinglens-array 106. As a result, the optical signal in both directionsbecomes attenuated or lost.

FIG. 3C is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment that compensatesfor the misalignment by tilting the lens holder sub-assembly 103 of theoptical networking device 109. In FIG. 3C, the lens holder sub-assembly103 is tilted with respect to the propagation axis in order to allow theemitted light 300 and received light 301 to pass through the lens holdersub-assembly despite the lateral misalignment.

Assuming that the degree of lateral misalignment and the distancebetween the focusing lens array 106 and the fiber-optic cable ferrules107 is known, the position and angle needed to compensate for themisalignment can be computed using trigonometry. However, because thelateral misalignment is on the order of microns, or even sub-microns,measuring the misalignment may be difficult using conventional tools. Asa result, in some embodiments, active alignment is performed todetermine an optimal (or acceptable) configuration of the lens holdersub-assembly 103.

In an embodiment, active alignment is achieved by passing light (e.g.laser light) through or from the optical networking device 109 and ontoa measuring device, such as an optical power meter. For example, themeasuring device may be mounted onto the lens holder sub-assembly 103using the guide pins 108 or attached to the other end of the fiber-opticcable 201. The position and angle of the lens holder sub-assembly 103 isthen incrementally adjusted until an optimal or threshold intensity oflight is detected by the measuring device. In some embodiments, theposition and angle of the lens holder sub-assembly 103 is calibrated byone or more actuators configured to micron or sub-micron accuracy. In anembodiment, the one or more actuators are controlled by a computingdevice, such as the computing device described below in the “HardwareOverview”, that has been configured to adjust the sub-assembly 103 basedon input received from the optical power meter.

In some cases, active alignment may be modeled as an optimizationproblem, where the independent variables are represented by linearvariables x, y, z (lateral and vertical movement) and angular variablesθ_(x), θ_(y), θ_(z) (roll, pitch, yaw) with the independent variablebeing maximized, L, representing the intensity of the recorded light.However, other embodiments may omit one or more of the independentvariables should the actuators performing the calibrations support lessthan six degrees of freedom.

In an embodiment, a computing device performs active alignment bymaximizing the intensity of the recorded light with respect to onedegree of freedom at a time until the measured light intensity is abovea particular threshold.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a computing device performingactive alignment according to an embodiment.

At block 400 the computing device selects an initial degree of freedom.In an embodiment, the computing devices selects from x, y, z (lateraland vertical movement) and angular variables θ_(x), θ_(y), θ_(z) (roll,pitch, yaw). However, in other embodiments the computing device may onlybe able to adjust a subset of the aforementioned degrees of freedom, andtherefore selects from a reduced set. In an embodiment, the computingdevice starts with lateral and vertical movement degrees of freedom. Inother embodiments, the computing device starts with angular variables.

At block 401 the computing device searches for the maximum (or nearmaximum) light intensity with respect to the current degree of freedom.In an embodiment, the computing device adjusts the degree of freedomincrementally (positively or negatively) while taking a light intensitymeasurement after each adjustment. In an embodiment, the computer devicecontinues the adjustment until the measured light intensity reaches alocal maximum.

At block 402 the computing device determines whether the measured lightintensity exceeds a particular threshold. In response to a determinationthat the measured light does not exceed the particular threshold, thecomputing device selects the next degree of freedom at block 403.Otherwise, the computing device completes active alignment at block 404.In other embodiments, the computing device may instead determine whetherthe measured light intensity meets or falls below a particular thresholdat block 402.

In an embodiment, the selection of the next degree of freedom at block403 loops back around to the initial degree of freedom until thecomputing device detects an acceptable light intensity measurement.However, in some embodiments, the computing device may put a limit onthe number of times the selection and adjustment of the degrees offreedom can loop around, thus putting a cap on the number of adjustmentsperformed during active alignment.

In another embodiment, instead of comparing the measured light intensityto a threshold at block 402, the computing device may instead adjusteach degree of freedom until the amount of improvement obtained afterfinding the local maximum of each degree of freedom falls below aminimum threshold.

In some embodiments, once the measuring device has detected anacceptable light intensity, the lens holder sub-assembly 103 is fixed inplace. For example, the active alignment may be performed before thelens holder sub-assembly 103 is attached to the interposer 100 base. Asa result, the lens holder sub-assembly 103 may, for example, be solderedor epoxied onto the interposer 100 in response to the measuring devicedetecting an acceptable light intensity. In other embodiments, the lensholder sub-assembly 103 may be configured to adjust the position andangle of the focusing lens array 106 and the fiber-optic cable ferrules107 after being mounted onto the interposer 100.

In an alternative embodiment, the optical networking device 109 may usea single-lens design by omitting the collimating lens array 105, thusallowing divergent light from the transmitter 101 to reach the focusinglens array 106.

FIG. 5A illustrates the effect of lens holder sub-assembly 103misalignment on an embodiment single-lens design of the opticalnetworking device 109. In order to provide a clear illustration, FIG. 5Ahas been limited to depicting only one focusing lens 501 of the focusinglens array 106 and one fiber-optic cable ferrule 502 of the fiber-opticferrules 107. Although the focusing lens 501 and fiber-optic cableferrule 502 pair chosen for the following example is used to transmitdata, the following techniques are also applicable to lens/ferrule pairsthat receive data, provided that light received from the remote sourceis divergent. For mixed cases, where the light from the transmitter 101is divergent and light destined for receiver 104 is collimated, or theconverse, the double-lens compensation techniques discussed above maystill be utilized to perform the coupling. In some embodiments, thedesign of the optical networking device 109 may be modified so that thelenses of the focusing lens array 106 and the ferrules of thefiber-optic cable ferrules 107 used for transmitting data are adjustableindependently from those used for receiving data.

In FIG. 5A, the collimating lens array 105 of the optical networkingdevice 109 has been omitted. As a result, divergent light 500 emittedfrom the transmitter 101 fans out at many different angles beforereaching the lens holder sub-assembly 103. Due to the misalignmentbetween the focusing lens 501 and the fiber-optic cable ferrule 502,light which enters at an angle sufficient to strike the focusing lens501 fails to reach the fiber-optic cable ferrule 502. In some respects,FIG. 5A depicts a worst case scenario where the misalignment is large tothe point where the divergent light 500 is unable pass through the lensholder sub-assembly 103 at all. However, even with a lesser degree ofmisalignment, the optical signal still becomes attenuated due todivergent light 500 becoming blocked that would otherwise pass throughthe lens holder sub-assembly 103 assuming the misalignment was notpresent.

FIG. 5B illustrates an embodiment that corrects lens holder sub-assembly103 misalignment for the single lens design. In FIG. 5B, the lens holdersub-assembly 103 has been moved laterally compared to the position ofthe lens holder sub-assembly 103 in FIG. 5A. As a result, the focusinglens 501 is moved into a position to catch the rays of divergent light500 that travel at an angle sufficient to compensate for themisalignment. Thus, in the single-lens design, an embodiment may takeadvantage of the property that the divergent light 500 already fallsupon the lens holder sub-assembly 103 at many different angles. As aresult, instead of tilting the lens holder sub-assembly 103, as in thedouble lens techniques discussed above, the lens holder sub-assembly 103can be moved laterally to catch the rays of divergent light 500traveling at the proper angle.

In some embodiments, active alignment for the single lens design isperformed while taking into account fewer degrees of freedom than thosediscussed for the double lens design. For example, the active alignmentmay omit roll, pitch, and/or yaw in order to simplify the optimizationprocess or reduce the number or complexity of the actuators needed toperform adjustments during active alignment.

5.0 COMPENSATING FOR TURNING MIRROR ANGULAR ERRORS

Angular errors of the turning mirror 102 may complicate alignments. Forexample, the turning mirror 102 may possess an inherent defect whichcauses light to reflect at an improper angle or the turning mirror 102may be placed improperly when mounted onto the interposer 100.

FIG. 6A illustrates the effect angular errors have on the opticalnetworking device 109, assuming a dual lens design. In order toillustrate a clear example, FIG. 6A depicts only the lenses of thefocusing lens array 106 and ferrules of the fiber-optic cable ferrules107 used for transmission. Since the received light carrying incomingdata does not pass through turning mirror 102, the received light is notaffected by the angular errors of the turning mirror 102. As a result,the following explanations assume that the receiving and transmittinglenses/ferrules are capable of being adjusted independently, or that theoptical networking device 109 performs only data transmission.

In FIG. 6A, transmitter 101 produces emitted light 601 which isparallelized by collimating lens array 105. However, since the turningmirror 102 is misaligned, the emitted light 300 reflects off the turningmirror 102, but misses the focusing lens array 106. As a result, atleast some of the emitted light 300 is blocked from reaching thefiber-optic cable ferrules 107.

FIG. 6B illustrates an embodiment that compensates for the angularerrors caused by the misalignment of FIG. 6A. In FIG. 6B the lens holdersub-assembly is positioned and tilted to align the emitted light 300reflected from the turning mirror 102 to the focusing lens array 106 andfiber-optic cable ferrules 107. As a result, the emitted light 300 isable to pass through the lens holder sub-assembly 103 despite theangular error of the turning mirror 102. In some embodiments, theposition and tilt of the lens holder sub-assembly is determined byactive alignment, such as the active alignment techniques describedearlier in Section 3.0 for dual lens sub-assembly misalignment.

For embodiments that use the single lens design, the angular error ofthe turning mirror 102 can be compensated by lateral movement using thesame techniques described above in Section 3.0 for single lenssub-assembly misalignment.

6.0 IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISMS—HARDWARE OVERVIEW

According to one embodiment, the techniques described herein areimplemented by one or more special-purpose computing devices. Thespecial-purpose computing devices may be hard-wired to perform thetechniques, or may include digital electronic devices such as one ormore application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or fieldprogrammable gate arrays (FPGAs) that are persistently programmed toperform the techniques, or may include one or more general purposehardware processors programmed to perform the techniques pursuant toprogram instructions in firmware, memory, other storage, or acombination. Such special-purpose computing devices may also combinecustom hard-wired logic, ASICs, or FPGAs with custom programming toaccomplish the techniques. The special-purpose computing devices may bedesktop computer systems, portable computer systems, handheld devices,networking devices or any other device that incorporates hard-wiredand/or program logic to implement the techniques.

For example, FIG. 7 is a block diagram that illustrates a computersystem 700 upon which an embodiment of the invention may be implemented.Computer system 700 includes a bus 702 or other communication mechanismfor communicating information, and a hardware processor 704 coupled withbus 702 for processing information. Hardware processor 704 may be, forexample, a general purpose microprocessor.

Computer system 700 also includes a main memory 706, such as a randomaccess memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device, coupled to bus 702for storing information and instructions to be executed by processor704. Main memory 706 also may be used for storing temporary variables orother intermediate information during execution of instructions to beexecuted by processor 704. Such instructions, when stored innon-transitory storage media accessible to processor 704, rendercomputer system 700 into a special-purpose machine that is customized toperform the operations specified in the instructions.

Computer system 700 further includes a read only memory (ROM) 708 orother static storage device coupled to bus 702 for storing staticinformation and instructions for processor 704. A storage device 710,such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, is provided and coupled to bus702 for storing information and instructions.

Computer system 700 may be coupled via bus 702 to a display 712, such asa cathode ray tube (CRT), for displaying information to a computer user.An input device 714, including alphanumeric and other keys, is coupledto bus 702 for communicating information and command selections toprocessor 704. Another type of user input device is cursor control 716,such as a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys for communicatingdirection information and command selections to processor 704 and forcontrolling cursor movement on display 712. This input device typicallyhas two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and asecond axis (e.g., y), that allows the device to specify positions in aplane.

Computer system 700 may implement the techniques described herein usingcustomized hard-wired logic, one or more ASICs or FPGAs, firmware and/orprogram logic which in combination with the computer system causes orprograms computer system 700 to be a special-purpose machine. Accordingto one embodiment, the techniques herein are performed by computersystem 700 in response to processor 704 executing one or more sequencesof one or more instructions contained in main memory 706. Suchinstructions may be read into main memory 706 from another storagemedium, such as storage device 710. Execution of the sequences ofinstructions contained in main memory 706 causes processor 704 toperform the process steps described herein. In alternative embodiments,hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination withsoftware instructions.

The term “storage media” as used herein refers to any non-transitorymedia that store data and/or instructions that cause a machine tooperation in a specific fashion. Such storage media may comprisenon-volatile media and/or volatile media. Non-volatile media includes,for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as storage device 710.Volatile media includes dynamic memory, such as main memory 706. Commonforms of storage media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexibledisk, hard disk, solid state drive, magnetic tape, or any other magneticdata storage medium, a CD-ROM, any other optical data storage medium,any physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, aFLASH-EPROM, NVRAM, any other memory chip or cartridge.

Storage media is distinct from but may be used in conjunction withtransmission media. Transmission media participates in transferringinformation between storage media. For example, transmission mediaincludes coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including thewires that comprise bus 702. Transmission media can also take the formof acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio-waveand infra-red data communications.

Various forms of media may be involved in carrying one or more sequencesof one or more instructions to processor 704 for execution. For example,the instructions may initially be carried on a magnetic disk or solidstate drive of a remote computer. The remote computer can load theinstructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions over atelephone line using a modem. A modem local to computer system 700 canreceive the data on the telephone line and use an infra-red transmitterto convert the data to an infra-red signal. An infra-red detector canreceive the data carried in the infra-red signal and appropriatecircuitry can place the data on bus 702. Bus 702 carries the data tomain memory 706, from which processor 704 retrieves and executes theinstructions. The instructions received by main memory 706 mayoptionally be stored on storage device 710 either before or afterexecution by processor 704.

Computer system 700 also includes a communication interface 718 coupledto bus 702. Communication interface 718 provides a two-way datacommunication coupling to a network link 720 that is connected to alocal network 722. For example, communication interface 718 may be anintegrated services digital network (ISDN) card, cable modem, satellitemodem, or a modem to provide a data communication connection to acorresponding type of telephone line. As another example, communicationinterface 718 may be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a datacommunication connection to a compatible LAN. Wireless links may also beimplemented. In any such implementation, communication interface 718sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals thatcarry digital data streams representing various types of information.

Network link 720 typically provides data communication through one ormore networks to other data devices. For example, network link 720 mayprovide a connection through local network 722 to a host computer 724 orto data equipment operated by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) 726.ISP 726 in turn provides data communication services through the worldwide packet data communication network now commonly referred to as the“Internet” 728. Local network 722 and Internet 728 both use electrical,electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams. Thesignals through the various networks and the signals on network link 720and through communication interface 718, which carry the digital data toand from computer system 700, are example forms of transmission media.

Computer system 700 can send messages and receive data, includingprogram code, through the network(s), network link 720 and communicationinterface 718. In the Internet example, a server 730 might transmit arequested code for an application program through Internet 728, ISP 726,local network 722 and communication interface 718.

The received code may be executed by processor 704 as it is received,and/or stored in storage device 710, or other non-volatile storage forlater execution.

7.0 EXTENSIONS AND ALTERNATIVES

In the foregoing specification, embodiments of the invention have beendescribed with reference to numerous specific details that may vary fromimplementation to implementation. Thus, the sole and exclusive indicatorof what is the invention, and is intended by the applicants to be theinvention, is the set of claims that issue from this application, in thespecific form in which such claims issue, including any subsequentcorrection. Any definitions expressly set forth herein for termscontained in such claims shall govern the meaning of such terms as usedin the claims. Hence, no limitation, element, property, feature,advantage or attribute that is not expressly recited in a claim shouldlimit the scope of such claim in any way. The specification and drawingsare, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than arestrictive sense.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising: a transmitter that isconfigured to emit modulated light upon which data is encoded; one ormore focusing lenses that are configured to focus the modulated lightinto one or more optical fiber ferrules; a lens holder sub-assembly thatcouples the one or more focusing lenses to the one or more optical fiberferrules; wherein each focusing lens of the one or more focusing lensesis laterally misaligned with respect to an optical fiber ferrule of theone or more optical fiber ferrules that corresponds to the focusinglens, wherein the modulated light from the transmitter is divergent uponreaching the one or more focusing lenses, wherein the lens holdersub-assembly is a lateral distance from the transmitter such that themodulated light from the transmitter passes through the lens holdersub-assembly even though the one or more focusing lenses are laterallymisaligned with the one or more optical fiber ferrules.
 2. The apparatusof claim 1, further comprising a turning mirror configured to reflectthe modulated light towards the one or more focusing lenses.
 3. Theapparatus of claim 1, further comprising a connector coupled to the lensholder sub-assembly that directs the modulated light into one or moreoptical fibers.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the connector is aMultiple-Fiber Push-On connector.
 5. The apparatus of claim 3, whereinthe one or more optical fibers are one or more single-mode opticalfibers.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the one or more single-modeoptical fibers are between 8 and 10.5 microns in diameter.
 7. Theapparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a second one or more opticalfiber ferrules configured to receive second modulated light upon whichdata is encoded; a receiver configured to transform the second modulatedlight into one or more electrical signals; a second one or more focusinglenses configured to direct the second modulated light towards thereceiver.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second modulatedlight passes through a collimating lens array prior to reaching thereceiver.
 9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second modulatedlight does not pass through a collimating lens array prior to reachingthe receiver.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising aninterposer coupled to the transmitter and configured to interface thetransmitter with a data encoder.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1, furthercomprising one or more single mode optical fibers coupled to the lensholder sub-assembly and configured to receive the modulated lightemanating from the one or more optical fiber ferrules.
 12. The apparatusof claim 1, wherein the modulated light does not pass through acollimating lens prior to entering the lens holder sub-assembly.
 13. Theapparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a computing device coupled toone or more actuators configured to adjust the lens holder sub-assemblyand coupled to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storingone or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processorsof the computing device, cause the computing device to perform:measuring, by a measuring device, an intensity of light passing throughthe lens holder sub-assembly; in response to a determination that theintensity of light exceeds a particular threshold, locking the lensholder sub-assembly in place; in response to a determination that theintensity of light does not exceed the particular threshold, adjusting aposition of the lens holder sub-assembly.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13,wherein in response to the determination that the intensity of lightdoes not exceed the particular threshold, adjusting a lateral positionof the lens holder sub-assembly relative to the transmitter.
 15. Theapparatus of claim 13, wherein the measuring device is an optical powermeter.